Alex Smith never had much love for the Denver Broncos during his time in Kansas City, and it seems retirement hasn’t softened his stance one bit. As a former Chiefs quarterback, Smith has plenty of reasons to dislike the Broncos. But his latest critique isn’t about old rivalries; it’s a cold, hard breakdown of why Denver’s playoff dream is about to become a nightmare.

“I don’t have a lot of love for the Broncos,” Smith said on the Jan 13 episode of the Up and Adams show. “They (Bills) had 12 comeback wins this year, which is the most in NFL history, and when you start thinking about the AFC picture as a whole, it just feels so wide open.”

Further highlighting how it seems quite obvious for the Bills to make the best out of the opportunity ahead, he added, “Would anyone really be shocked if the Bills went in and won? Not necessarily—and even if Houston or the Patriots ran the table, it wouldn’t feel impossible. At this point, it just feels completely wide open.”

The Denver Broncos face some clear roadblocks on their path ahead. Even though other top AFC teams have struggled, Denver now has to deal with a dangerous opponent led by Josh Allen. Allen is coming off a huge performance (pass completion rate of 69.3%) and can hurt defenses when plays break down. The Broncos’ pass rush may help, but containing Allen outside the pocket won’t be easy.

The upcoming clash is a tough test for the Denver Broncos, especially after what happened last year. The Buffalo Bills crushed Denver 31–7 in Bo Nix’s first playoff game (Wild Card round). This time, the setting is different, as Denver hosts its first playoff game since its run to Super Bowl 50, but the challenge is even bigger.

Josh Allen is playing the best football of his career and has more playoff wins than any quarterback left. He has thrown 16 playoff touchdowns with zero interceptions over his last six games. With the Kansas City Chiefs eliminated, this may be Allen’s best chance yet to reach the Super Bowl.

Josh Allen faces a major threat ahead of the divisional clash against the Broncos

Josh Allen’s receiving group has taken serious hits. The Buffalo Bills lost Tyrell Shavers to a torn ACL just days before the game, ending his postseason. Earlier, Buffalo also lost Gabe Davis, another trusted target. With two key receivers gone, Allen will have fewer options to rely on in a high-pressure playoff game.

Allen is expected to play, but he isn’t expected to be in full health. The QB is dealing with head, hand, and leg issues that worsened during the wild-card clash against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite his toughness amidst injuries, the issues could limit his running ability and how much contact he can take. That may force Buffalo to adjust its offense and ask Allen to be more careful, which is difficult against a strong Denver defense that relies on pressure.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott applauded Shavers for finishing the game despite the injury. However, it is now time for the Bills to move forward short-handed. The challenge grows with safety Jordan Poyer also dealing with a hamstring issue. While the Broncos are also dealing with injury hassles, it remains to be seen which team’s players will step up and make the most of their opportunities.